REVIEWS & Comments

'Frog Meets A Bog Beast. There’s something absolutely delightful about the title; it’s catchy, intriguing, it rhymes. Who is this frog who lives in a bog, and what of this beast? How do they meet, and where is this bog, and does it all end happily? Well, sit back and make yourself comfortable – as they say in the world of storytelling – for this is the tale not only of an exciting new children’s book, but also its inspirational author, who believes that anyone can write if they just put their mind to it.' ... read full article here.

- 05 August 2014  By Alix Norman at Cyprus Mail

'A beautifully illustrated, wonderfully well-written book for children. They will love the exciting moment when frog meets the hog! A range of language features and imaginative vocabulary make this an excellent choice for parents and teachers wishing to extend their children's language skills. This book will inspire older children with its creative use of metaphor, simile, alliteration and rhyme. The activities at the end of the book lend it a versatility that makes the book suitable for cross-curricular work to support children's understanding and development of a range of key skills. Can't wait to see the next book in the series!

- 5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring read! 10 July 2014   By DEENA OSBORNE

As a mother of two children 'Frog meets a Bog Beast' is a great story. It has wonderful and captivating illustrations throughout. It is an easy read and the short rhyming sentences kept the children interested in hearing the story. The activities at the end of the story are a bonus along with interesting pictures and descriptions of insects and creatures. My seven year old was able to read this book by himself and was also challenged by a few words which I think will help him learn to a higher level. My youngest who is two years old, was happy looking at the illustrations and turned the pages wanting to see more. Overall it is a great book and I would highly recommend it.

- 5.0 out of 5 stars A great bedtime story 19 Jun 2014   By Dora Sutton

'A delightful tale in rhyming couplets which serves as an early forerunner to the milestone of GCSE English Literature.

The author's clever use of the iambic metre creates a wonderful lyrical tone which not only makes the skip-a-long reading fun and joyous but also strengthens a child's mnemonic powers, while also lending the story a mesmerising and intriguingly exotic feel: "the beast from the Far East ... "

An entertaining and dramatic effect is sustained throughout with the astute use of such literary tools as monosyllables for short/sharp impact, onomatopoeia for aural shock and horror - (enhanced through the visual display of Hog's razor-sharp teeth and sword-like tusks) - not to mention run-on lines for ongoing nail-biting suspense, and caesuras breaking up the smooth flow of the poetic line as though re-creating Frog's interrupted tranquility and peaceful serenity.

A haven for emotional and psychic activity: but also a healing anti-climax in dispelling a child's/Frog's unconscious paranoid and nightmarish fears by externalising and projecting them in the figure of Hog. In this way, fears can then be confronted, and be discovered to be unfounded ...

An interesting all-rounder combining playful fantasy with informative material about the importance of conservation.

No primary school should be deprived of a copy.

- 5.0 out of 5 stars Review from an English tutor/Psychodynamic Counsellor 8 Jun 2014  By Mary Eghoyan

'As you all know we love books and nature here, so when the two things collide, it is just perfect.  I was thrilled when Troubador recently sent us a copy of Frog Meets a Bog Beast, by Linda Button. Frog Meets a Bog Beast is a paperback picture book aimed at children aged 4-8 years old. Yes it’s a picture book, but there is a lot of text and loads of factual information at the end of the story.  This book is a little different, we love it.  It’s a book we’ll be coming back to again and again I think.

The rhyming text of this book takes us on a journey with Frog who happily lives in his little bog.  Monkey loved all the illustrations (great job from Ian R Ward) and we spent lots of time talking about all the creatures we could spot on each page.

Frog is quite happy until a beast arrives!  A scary beast, very unlike any creature he has seen in his bog before.

Meet Hog! Frog decides to be brave, he doesn’t want to get eaten by this terrible beast. It turns out that Hog isn’t really that scary and he and Frog become firm friends.  It’s a wonderful read, with lots going on.  Frog Meets a Bog Beast has certainly fired Monkey’s imagination with lots of questions.

Once you’ve read the story itself, there are a number of pages offering information on frogs and their life cycle, mini beast bog identification guide as well as general facts, activities and information on conservation sites.

Priced at £6.99 we can thoroughly recommend this book – any young nature loving book-worm is going to enjoy the story, and all of the education information included. This book is the first in a ‘My Animal Puzzle Book’ series and we look forward to seeing what comes next.

Disclaimer:  we were sent this book in exchange for an honest review.'

- Over 40 and a Mum to One Blog (24 June 2014)

'Thank you so much for sending me a copy of your book as well as your effort to educate the next generation all about frogs! I greatly enjoyed reading the book and the illustrations are beautiful. Keep up the good work and I wish you the best of luck with the promotion of your book!'

- Michael G. Starkey (13 May 2014)

SAVE THE FROGS! - Advisory Committee Chair, Ecologist

'Told in a poetic rhyme, Frog Meets A Bog Beast is a treat for young readers. This book is about Frog, the bog he lives in and the beast that comes to the bog one foggy day. The story tells how even though he was greatly afraid Frog confronts the beast to learn who he is; why he is in the bog and most importantly what he is.

Wildly entertaining read for your young reader and you to share. If yours are anything like mine (ages 6 & 7) they will love this story and demand a "quick" reread. Another story for the favorite shelf. Get a copy to share with your young readers. Help teach them that being different is not always a bad thing and that they can be braver than they think when meeting something or someone different than themselves.

Thank you for the time I was given sharing the fun and laughter with the children in my life.'

- DelAnne, NetGalley (1 May 2014)

'A fun rhyming adventure with a frog in a bog ecosystem, what will happen when a fearsome hog comes into the scene?

A lot of great science tie ins: "Being green, he couldn't be seen, moss creating a camouflage screen." make this a good book for learning science concepts as well as the overall theme of friendship. Fun and colorful illustrations accompany the lively text of Frog and Hog's days together.

Extra science information is added at the end including a frog's life cycle, common bog plants and animals that were illustrated in the book, bog exploration activities, bog facts and crafts. These features make this a good book for classrooms to have for easy lesson-planning.

As another bonus, a donation towards conservation will be made by purchasing this book.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.'

- Stephanie (30 April 2014)

'Congratulations on the publication of “Frog meets a Bog Beast”. It really is a fantastic looking book telling an important tale with humour, warmth and no shortage of enthusiasm!'

- Scottish Wildlife Trust (29 April 2014)

'Delightful, Educational, Good for Read-To and for Young Readers Too.

Not only is this delightful children's book intriguing, well-illustrated, and offering some important lessons, it is also educational, with frog data and activities. This is one I recommend for reading to and with children and grandchildren, and for teachers in the younger elementary grades to share with their children (library Storytime readers too). Developing young readers, future wildlife advocates, and budding scientists-to-be will enjoy reading the story, and studying the additional material on their own. I reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. No fees were exchanged.'

- Mallory Anne-Marie Haws (28 April 2014)